Six Things

I originally planned for this to be my blog post for March. Six months living abroad in a foreign country away from family and friends was going to be a momentous milestone for me and one that I was excited to reach. However, things happen, and plans change. I reached the six-month milestone right as I was leaving to go back home. To say I’m devastated is an understatement. I wanted 27 months in this beautiful country, not six. It’s been a week since I’ve been back in the U.S. after being evacuated from Indonesia because of COVID-19. It’s been strange being back, especially under the current circumstances of self-quarantine. Life is unfair and scary at the moment, but it could be so much worse. I need to remind myself of that and how grateful I am to have a house and family to come home to. I’m really not sure what the future holds or if I will be back to Indonesia as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I truly hope for this, but I need to be realistic as well. However, I know for a fact that I will return to Indonesia someday whether as a volunteer or not. With that being said, I am going to keep posting on my blog and I hope to write once a month like I have been doing.

Before beginning the actual blog post, I would like to say how grateful I am for everyone’s support during this difficult time. I would also like to express my gratitude for all of our everyday superheroes who are creating change daily. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!

In the midst of this pandemic, we must cling to the things that keep us human, motivate us, bring us joy, remind us what we’re fighting for, and push us through, day by day. Since I was young, books and stories have been one of those things for me. As I mentioned, the day that marked my first six months in Indonesia is something I have looked forward to for a long time. That number, six, reminds me of a story that I love. Alice Kingsley from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland says, “Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” Alice is a story that has been immortalized over the years with many, many retellings. I’ve always imagined Alice to be so brave, and so I draw inspiration from her and try to be brave myself during this time. So, in the spirit of Alice, here are six things I learned from my time in Indonesia.

1. The world is full of many more good people than bad

Since being in Indonesia, I have met the truest, kindest, most giving people. From my host families to my school counterparts to random strangers I have encountered at bus terminals, I am amazed by their kindness and willingness to help me. Of course I’ve dealt with people who aren’t so nice and the opposite of helpful, but that’s the same wherever you go in the world. There’s so many stories I could tell with incredible examples of the kindness and generosity I’ve been shown but that would take hours to write. The collage below are just a few pictures of only a few of many people that I feel so fortunate to have met in Indonesia. I can’t wait until I am reunited with them again.

2. Family is everything

Being away from my family for six months was very difficult but it made me appreciate every single time I got to facetime, call, or even text them. Now that I’m reunited with them at home, it’s made me appreciate every moment I get to spend with them (which is a lot now that we’re all quarantined). Anyways, now more than ever, do I realize the importance of family and how my family truly means everything to me. Additionally, something I learned while integrating into Indonesian culture was the importance of family. I have learned that Indonesian people are very family-oriented. It’s common for children to live with their parents even after they are married and gatherings with extended family are very common. It was so special being able to take part in these gatherings. I feel as though I gained two (pre-service training and site) more families during my time in Indonesia. Overall, my time in Indonesia has made me so much more appreciative towards family.

3. In order to grow, we have to put ourselves in vulnerable situations

This is perhaps the most important thing that I have learned during my time in Indonesia. If I didn’t learn to put myself in vulnerable situations, then I wouldn’t learn anything new. We were taught during pre-service training that our comfort zones are so far from where the actual magic happens. This is something that I love and that I want to keep with me for the rest of my life. During my Peace Corps experience, I have put myself into many vulnerable situations including meeting a group of 70 other volunteers, moving into two different host families with minimal knowledge of the language they spoke, teaching in a foreign country, taking public transportation alone, and the list goes on and on. In general, I have grown so much every single time I’ve decided to step outside of my comfort zone and take on something new, no matter how small or big. When you decide to step outside, magical things can and will happen.

4. A meal in Indonesia is not complete without nasi

It’s a joke among my Peace Corps friends and I, but a belief amongst Indonesians, that you truly haven’t eaten unless you’ve had rice. Nasi for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In all seriousness, it’s a staple in Indonesian cuisine. As a child, I was a very picky eater but I’ve grown up a lot since then. However, as a vegetarian, I was still worried about what my diet would be like in Indonesia. Well, it seems silly that I used to worry about that because my diet was just fine. Both of my host moms made the most amazing meals and I’m so grateful that I was able to try so many new foods. Some of my favorite foods were nasi goreng (fried rice), tempe, tahu (tofu), gado-gado (Indonesian salad with a peanut dressing), and martabak (stuffed pancake). Trying new food in Indonesia was one of my favorite things to do and I’m so excited to travel to more countries and continue expanding my horizons.

5. Learning a foreign language is an incredible experience

Learning a new language was definitely something that excited me but also made me anxious prior to my service. It’s a very difficult endeavor and one that only gets harder as you age. However, Peace Corps Indonesia prepared us well for language use at site. During our 10 week long pre-service training, we had language class five days a week for about 3-4 hours a day. There were only 4-5 trainees in each class which provided for ample opportunities to work with our Indonesian language teachers. At the end of our training, we took a language proficiency test and I ended up scoring a lot higher than I expected I would. The entire language learning experience taught me that with hard work and dedication, I can truly do anything I put my mind to. I hope to continue my Bahasa Indonesia learning as well as additional languages.

6. I am so much stronger than I ever knew

This is something very personal but I wanted to include it because of how meaningful it is to me and how important it is for all of us to recognize these special triumphs and be proud of ourselves. My experience in Indonesia has taught me that I am much stronger than I ever thought. Like I said earlier, being away from family was far from easy, but I did it. I also learned a new language, dealt with, overcame, and learned to appreciate cultural barriers. I also had several bouts of very unpleasant sickness. There are many experiences that I had to overcome and witness that made me feel uncomfortable at times, but they all shaped me into the person I am today. All of this has allowed me to grow into a stronger, more confident woman. Now, I truly feel like I can do anything and let me tell you, it’s a magnificent feeling.